Stomach Bug
by FandomsMJ
Summary: It just couldn't have been a stomach bug could it? Now here he was waking up in the hospital.


Disclaimer: I do not own Jonny Quest or related characters. I do however own my OC: Dr. Naomi Hawkins

 _A/N: I wanted to do a fic with young Jonny and hospitalized!Race... this is what it became. Also, I couldn't think of a better title for this._

* * *

Race entered his bedroom, not bothering to turn the light on, he leaned back against the door with a grimace. He stayed like that for a long moment before pushing off the door and making his way across the room. He dropped the small stack of school work that needed to be graded - nothing much, just a spelling/vocabulary test and a few math worksheets - on his desk, right next to the report he still needed to finish. Despite what he'd told Jonny a few minutes ago, Race had no intentions of doing paper work at the moment. He didn't know why, but lunch was _not_ agreeing with him and he just wanted to lie down for a bit.

He didn't even bother crawling under the covers. He just kicked off his boots and laid down, hoping it was just bad indigestion that was bothering him and not some sort of stomach bug.

* * *

Race woke slowly, wishing he hadn't. His stomachache hadn't gone away at all in the time he'd been asleep. When had he fallen asleep anyway? Feeling nauseous, Race groaned and closed his eyes again. It didn't matter what time it was, he just wanted to sleep until he got over this stomach bug. It had to be a stomach bug - or food poisoning if he was really unlucky - indigestion wouldn't leave him feeling this sick.

He kept his eyes closed when he heard the quiet squeak of the doorknob turning. He didn't care who it was, he just wanted to be left alone. Dr. Quest - the footsteps, were heavier than Jonny's would have been - entered the room and approached the bed. Moments later Race felt the thermometer's scanner running across his forehead. The thermometer? That must've meant Quest had checked on him sometime while he was sleeping... why hadn't he woken up then? Oh right, he was sick.

Race opened his eyes to see the scientist frowning at the reading. "One-hundred-point-seven." He murmured quietly, concern in his azure eyes. Eh, 100.7 didn't sound so bad, considering Race typically ended up with a temperature somewhere around 102 point something. Looking away from the reading, Quest saw he was awake, "How are you feeling, Race?"

"Sick." The bodyguard mumbled in response.

"Stomachache?" Dr. Quest guessed. Not that it took Sherlock Holmes to figure it out, Race was lying on his side with his arms wrapped around his abdomen.

"An' nausea." Race closed his eyes again. He answered the doc's questions, can he go back to sleep now?

"Any other symptoms?" Quest asked. On one hand, Race was annoyed. On the other, he understood the good doctor was merely trying to rule out some illnesses, such as the flu.

"No." And he hoped it stayed that way. A sick stomach was enough without anything else making the situation worse.

* * *

Race woke slowly with jumbled memories of waking with a sharp pain in his lower right side. He couldn't remember much aside from the stabbing pain in his side, though he was certain he could remember Dr. Quest actually swearing out loud. He probably only remembered that because of how shocking it was, given how there was such a strict "no swearing" rule in place and it seemed the good doctor had never once used profanity.

Appendicitis. It just had to be appendicitis. Couldn't have been a normal stomach bug, could it? Now here he was stuck in the hospital. At least the pain was gone now. That was a relief.

"Race?" hearing the quiet voice the bodyguard looked to his left. He found Dr. Quest sitting in a standard hospital chair asleep and Jonny standing nearby. There was a haunted look in the boy's eyes, at odds with his young age of seven years. He'd had a family member in the hospital before, and the outcome had not been good. Even a year later it seemed the death of his mother still haunted the child. Which, all things considered, was very understandable.

"Hey kiddo." Race murmured. He was glad the hospital bed was positioned with the front half raised slightly, allowing him to remain in a semi-sitting up position. He hated being stuck lying down when in the hospital. Merely being injured (or sick) enough to be hospitalized made him feel vulnerable, he didn't like being stuck in a position that made him feel even weaker.

"I th-thought you w-weren't going to w-wake up." The boy mumbled, his voice trembling as he came closer. It seemed his last (and most likely his first) experience with having a family member in the hospital had programmed his young mind to think being hospitalized equaled being about to die, or never waking up.

"Did they explain to you what happened to me?" He asked.

"Y-yeah." Jonny nodded.

Good. Race didn't have to explain it. Call him a chicken, but he'd rather not explain appendicitis to a child. "Then they told you I was going to be okay, right?"

"Yeah, b-but..."

"You were still worried." Race couldn't help but feel guilty. Yes, the situation had been entirely out of his control, but he had still ended up scaring the boy.

Jonny nodded.

Race sighed as he motioned for Jonny to go ahead and climb up onto the bed. The boy did so without hesitation and didn't resist when the I-One agent wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close to his side. It was quiet for a moment as Race tried to figure out what to say. He had to admit, while he was used to dealing with children he wasn't exactly used to this kind of situation.

Which, now that he thought about it, was odd considering what his job was. Had he really been lucky enough to only have two hospital visits in the last eight years? Well, two hospital visits that was for more than getting a few stitches anyway.

"Are you going to be okay, Race?" Jonny asked quietly.

"Yes. I'm goin' to be just fine, Jonny." Race answered.

Jonny seemed to relax at that.

"Finally." Race swore he heard a familiar voice mutter. He glanced towards the door and saw the shadow of someone standing there, just watching the entire scene. Returning his attention to the seven-year-old, Race found the boy was asleep. It must've been worry and fear that had kept Jonny up this late. At least, Race assumed it was late at night judging by how dark it was out side the window.

Hearing footsteps Race looked towards the door to see an African-American woman entering the room. "How long were you standing there?" He asked.

"Long enough." Dr. Hawkins answered as she scanned his forehead with the thermometer, prompting the I-One agent to roll his eyes. "Don't give me that look, Bannon. Your temperature is returning to a normal level but it's best to keep an eye on it for awhile." Her slightly annoyed look morphed into a thoughtful one, "Though, I suppose it would be worrying if you weren't making faces. Something would be wrong if you weren't being a pain in the neck."

Race chuckled quietly. Hawkins was the same as ever.

"By the way, I do hope you behave. I would hate to have to sedate you." Hawkins remarked, then the light teasing look in her dark eyes faded away as she glanced at Jonny. "He didn't believe me when I said you'd be okay. Understandable since apparently the doctors told him his mother would be okay." There was thinly disguised displeasure in her voice. Race understood, when dealing with an unknown virus it was best not to make false promises to a child.

"He'll learn to trust you." He said. The I-One agent knew this wouldn't be the last time he found himself in the hospital and under Hawkins's care... unfortunately. God, he hated his job sometimes, but he knew he'd go insane with boredom if he gave it up.

"Eventually." Dr. Hawkins murmured in agreement. Then she gave him a stern look, "I have other patients to check on. Don't do anything stupid."

"What could I possibly do?" Race asked, his face the picture of innocence.

"Do I need to remind you of Mumbai?" Hawkins turned back from where she'd been about to leave the room.

"That was one time." Race sighed, closing his eyes.

"Only because I took precautions to ensure it was the _last_ time." Hawkins muttered before she left.

One time, and yet the doctor never forgot it, and never failed to use that particular incident against him.

Hearing someone enter the room he opened his eyes to see Hawkins had returned with two extra blankets. Wordlessly she handed one to Race so he could tuck it around Jonny while she tucked the other blanket around Dr. Quest.

"Thanks Naomi." Race murmured before she could leave again.

If hearing her rarely used first name surprised her, she didn't show it. She just smiled before disappearing into the corridor again.

Race leaned his head back against the pillows behind him, closing his eyes. He hoped that - despite the fact he'd been asleep most of the day - he'd be able to sleep since there wasn't anything else he could do.

* * *

 _A/N: Yeah... this isn't at all what I had originally intended to write. Originally the bulk of the story was suppose to be that scene where Jonny was scared Race wouldn't wake up and Race reassures him. Which, even in this version of the story I still can't seem to get that scene how I want it. That's probably why it's such a small part of this story. Actually, I'm not really happy with how this story turned out in general. Anyway, I imagine Jonny didn't become the brave kid with the attitude of "everything's going to turn out fine" until he was a bit older. Oh he's getting there, but there's one moment that really impacts him and helps guide him to become the Jonny Quest we all know and love. What is that moment? If I ever get around to finishing the story then you'll find out. Also, first look at Dr. Naomi Hawkins. I hadn't intended her to be in this story originally but she just kind of showed up. More will be explained about her in future stories._


End file.
